SOM hosts SNMA National Leadership Conference this weekend

September 15, 2010

The Wayne State University School of Medicine will host the National Leadership Institute conference of the Student National Medical Association this week.

Set for Sept. 18-19, the weekend retreat is designed to support the current and future SNMA officers as they prepare to become leaders in the medical field. Previous institutes have taken place at Wake Forest, Harvard and Louisville.

The SNMA is the nation’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs of medical students of color.

“Wayne State University is the premier institution to host a National Leadership Institute,” said Eric Ayers, M.D., assistant professor of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics and section chief of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics with the School of Medicine. Dr. Ayers serves as a professional board member for the SNMA. “With regard to SNMA's mission, Wayne State has a dynamic faculty base that is best equipped to highlight the challenges and opportunities presented to young African-Americans in medicine. The Detroit community hosts a diverse patient population which poignantly represents SNMA's target population and will no doubt encourage an organization with such a mission to make meaningful contribution to our own community. Most importantly, given Wayne State University's mission of serving as an urban research center and preparing individuals to excel in an increasingly advanced and globally connected society, there is no doubt that any interaction with the university will encourage and support those who are interested and gifted to attain the skills necessary to achieving their dreams of becoming a physician.”

The institute is expected to attract 150 student leaders to the Detroit area. They will be looking to enhance their knowledge of health care issues and concerns of the uninsured and underinsured, along with identifying community resources to assist in helping those segments of the population, Dr. Ayers said.

Registration takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Motor City Casino Hotel. An opening dinner and a discussion on health disparities begin at the hotel at 6:30 p.m.

A daylong program at the School of Medicine on Sept. 18 includes topics such as One SNMA: Conducting National and Regional Initiatives as Part of the Whole, Dissecting the Question: USMLE and Shelf Exam Preparation. How Leadership Skills Translate into Clinical Success, Application for Residency – What Are They Looking for in Me?, Research Rounds: Communicating the Big Picture, Teen Talk Service Project and Presenting a Patient Correctly: Resident Case Presentations. A speed mentoring dinner is set for 7 p.m., followed by a social event at 9 p.m.

The conference wraps up Sept. 19 at the hotel with a working breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and a board of directors meeting.